Re:Thinking Mission

@justindlong @tayo_arikawe I have noticed significant variation *within* UK-headquartered agencies...

@tayo_arikawe @WEC_Rethinking I have noticed a significant difference between us agencies and UK agencies :( :)

Thoughtful observation! Another reason for failure is d dwindling number of missiologists in mission societies, but increasing number of directors(corporate approach)with no experience in missions/missiology and possess little knowledge of d biblical role of churches in mission.

Thangaraj on the failures of the mission society model:

(Data from UNDESA and the @joshuaproject)

The Church on the move: migration flows of the Evangelical population.

"We all know the homogenous unit principle. But we must be careful not to foster nationalism in our church planting. In these polarized times our churches should be models of reconciliation."

Brainstorming new models of mission over breakfast with Koreans mobilising Romanians in Spain. God is “redrawing the old maps”.

A speaker on fruitful best practices for ministry to migrants in Europe: We don’t know yet. Situation too new. Ask again in ten years. Clever, clever.

Stuart Murray on fruitful best practices for agencies supporting CP: “Good leadership & a balanced team” - integrity of heart and skilful hands “Relational accountability” - narrative not bureaucratic “Strategic development” - lift CPers eyes to big picture

Stuart Murray on best practices for post-Christian church planting: “Missional listening” - to God and community. “Food and hospitality” - no eating, no meeting! “Core values and non-essentials” - what matters to us most?

@pauldz Not sure of the original source but was part of a presentation I was at about church planting in Europe. And yes, maybe too binary; and strange to think that more individual focus leads to more interculturalism. But interesting. Hence the question mark...

@WEC_Rethinking So where did this interesting slide come from? And I agree it does seem to be a binary

Interesting way to look at the difference between “intercultural” and “multicultural”?

@tayo_arikawe Perhaps the best example of this is Interserve.

@tayo_arikawe Not that “there are no Western orgs” but that the parameters and the agencies are so diverse that “Western org” means little without clarification. Orgs are not homogeneous. They can be Western in some ways, not in others; Western in some ministries and regions, not in others &c.

Some western orgs think that they are no longer 'western' because they're still looking thru western eyes. Ask folk from two-thirds/majority world and u could get more robust perspectives. Maj. world should also ask western friends to give their perspectivee of our orgs..

“Western mission movement” lumps them all in the same box. Not helpful. Let’s stop using it.

Many of these organisations are hybrid, not Western. Some still aren’t, I know, and are still majority Western in all the categories I’ve mentioned; but many major ones have moved.

Can we please retire the phrase “Western mission movement”? It’s meaningless. A thread.